CHICAGO, Ill. — Chicago State volleyball continued its early-season growth on Friday afternoon, battling Central Arkansas in the UIC Tournament at Credit Union 1 Arena. The Cougars fell 3–0 (25–15, 25–9, 25–23) but closed the match with their strongest set of the tournament so far, pushing the Sugar Bears deep into the third before narrowly dropping the frame.
The Cougars showed balance across the lineup, with
Jocelyn Carter pacing the offense with a team-high eight kills.
Nayella George added four kills and posted a team-best 10 digs to anchor the back row.
Leah Linares Castro and
Tarcy Mayah each contributed six digs, while Mayah also delivered two aces from the service line to spark momentum in the opening frame.
After slow starts in the first two sets, Chicago State responded with resilience in the third. The Cougars erased an early deficit, surged ahead late behind strong serving from
Alyssa Ferreira and aggressive net play from Carter, and tied the set at 23–23 before Central Arkansas was able to close out the match.
Despite the setback, the Cougars demonstrated growth in each set, particularly in their ability to side out and create extended rallies against a strong Central Arkansas squad.
Chicago State (0–5) continues play in the UIC Tournament on Saturday, looking to build on the positives from Friday's third set.
